Method and apparatus for separating fibers



3947- R. A. FAIRBAIRN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARAIING FIBERS 4 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 10, 1941 R. A. FAIRAlRN I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FIBERS Filed Sept. 10, 1941 4 Sheets -Sh eet 2 ay 1947. R. A. FAIRBAIRN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FIBERS Filed Sept. 10, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 f eni'ar .flfaeryii Jazi'w 2 May 6, 1947. R. A. FAIRBAIRN 2,429,033

METHQD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FIBERS Filed Sept. 10, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May b, rear D STATES greater manor: AND APPARATUS FOR smAna-rmo mans Robert a. Fairbairn, Wellesley, Mass.

Application September 10, 1941, Serial No. 410,300

g 35 Claims. 1

Cashmere fleece and camel's-hair fleece are each comprised of down fibers and beard fibers. The down fibers are very valuable for making fabrics, whereas the beard fibers are undesirable. Some types of wool have kemp hairs which are undesirable and by use of the terms beard fiber beard hair or coarse fiber I intend to include such kemp hair of wool. Other fleeces which contain undesirable beard or coarse fibers which are within the scope of this invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. This invention relates to a. novel and improved method and apparatus for separating the valuable down fibers from the undesirable beard fibers. The invention will be explained with reference to cashmere although it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that it is equally applicable to camels-hair wool or to any other animal fleece comprising relatively fine fibers and coarse fibers. Cashmere fleece is obtained from the cashmere goat which is native in Tibet and Northem' India. The fleece is received in this country in bale form and consists of a mixture of down fibers, beard fibers, dandrufi', natural oil or grease and dirt. The grease and dirt are removed by scouring, leaving a jumbled mass which consists of approximately 75% by weight of down fibers, 25% beard fibers, plus dandrufi. Prior to this invention so far as I know the beard fibers and dan. drufi were removed by repeated carding and combing and also, in Japan, by picking out the beard fibers by hand. During each carding and each combing operation many of the down fibers cling to the beard fibers and are removed with them so that a cashmere top (long down fibers more or less freed from beard fibers) is very expensive due both to the many carding and combing operations necessary for removal of the beard fibers and to the Waste of down fibers which are removed with the beard fibers. Furthermore, a cashmere top made by that process still contains some beard fibers, the percentage often being as high as 10% by weight. When free cashmere noils (short down fibers substantially free from beard fibers) are produced by carding and combing, it is necessary to set the combs very closely in order to comb the down fibers out of the beard fibers, and this causes the down fibers to be broken up into very short lengths of the order of about an inch, and the value of such fibers is quite limited.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel method and a novel apparatus for separating down fibers from beard fibers without unduly reducing the length of the down fibers.

Further objects will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and of the annexed drawings, in which one embodiment of my apparatus is chosen for the purpose of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 i an enlarged partial section taken on the line 5s of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of that part of the apparatus which is shown in Fig. 4;

,Fig. 7 is a top plan photograph or a jumbled mass of cashmere fleece as it appears upon arrival in this country prior to the removal of dirt and grease by scouring;

Fig. 8 is a top plan photograph of the web of cashmere fleece produced by scouring the fleece of Fig. '7 and then passing it through a carding machine;

Fig. 9 is a plan View of the very thin film or web of aligned cashmere beard and down fibers produced by a preferred step of my method;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section taken on the Fig. 11 is a top plan photograph illustrating the appearance of the fibers of Fig. 9 after the beard fibers have been cut into short segments during another step of my method;

Fig. 12 is a top plan photograph illustrating the appearance of the cashmere down fibers after the cut segments of beard fibers and dandrufi have been removed; and

Fig. 13 is a top plan photograph showing out segments of beard fibers and dandrufi as they appear after removal from the down fibers.

The cross section of cashmere down fibers is quite uniformly circular, the average diameter is about 15 microns, and the length varies from about 1% to about 3% inches. The cross section of cashmere beard fibers varie from circular to ribbon-like, the diameter or thickness varies from about 30 to about '150 microns, the average diameter or thickness is about microns and the 56 length varies from about 1% inches to about 5 whereas it is difficult to distinguish the finer crinkly down fibers which comprise about 75% by weight of the mass illustrated.

In one aspect, my preferred method comprises arranging the heard and downv fibers in a very thin film or web (illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 9 and 10) in which the beard hairs or fibers are substantially only one fiber deep and are aligned to extend substantially in the same direction; supporting this web of film on a surface: then causing spaced cutting devices to en- 8 8e the beard fibers to cut them into short seg ments without substantially cutting the down fibers (see Fig. 11) and thereafter separating the substantially uncut down fibers (Fig, 12) from the cut segments of the beard fibers and the dandruiI-(Flg. l3). 1

The jumbled mass ofeashmere fleece (shown in Fig. 'l) is first subjected to a scouring operation, using soap and water, to thereby remove the grease and dirt. After drying.v the resultant mass of beard fibers, down fibers and dandruff ,is passed through a carding machine (not shown) which is preferably provided with metallic clothing. This produces a thin web or film II which is about five feet wide and in which the fibers are not aligned, but cross and recross each other, as shown in Fig. 8. This web is fed from the carding machine to a conveyor belt I! vided in the bottom of the block 33.

4 tation in bearing blocks 33 which are located adjacent to its ends. These blocks 33 are mounted for vertical sliding movement. along ways provided in the frame members 30. The blocks are urged upwardly by springs 33 (Fig. 2), the lower end of each spring being retained in a recess provided in the top of the block 33, and the upper end of each spring being retained in a recess pro- These springs 33 are strong enough tosupport both the -weight of the blocks 38 and 'that of the roll 2| These springs 33 would thus hold thesurface of thesescrew threads en ge the threads of an interiorly threaded aperture which extends through a steel block 44 which is welded to the frame cross member 40. The lower end of the shank of each bolt is of reduced diameter and is provided with vided in a steelblock 42, said block being secured tothe top of the bearing block 33. Fewer'screw threads per linear inch are provided on the upper adjacent to the ends of each roll and supported by the frame members 30. The surface of the roll I! engages both the surface of the roll 2|) and the surface of the roll l9, but the'surface of the roll I3 is spaced from the surface of the roll 23, as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the rolls l8 and I3 is provided with a rubber covering, and each is rotated in acounterclockwise direction (looking at Fig. 2) by suitable connections with the driven shaft 3|, the roll lflbeing rotated at the roll I! at a greater surface speed which may be of the order of six feet per second.

The shaft 32 of the roll 20 is mounted for rotation in suitable bearing blocks 33 which are located adjacent to each of its ends and are supported by the frame members 3|) and 34. One

end of the shaft 32 is provided with a pulley 35 which may be driven by a belt (not shown), the belt in turn being driven from any suitable source of power. The other end of this shaft 32 is provided with a gear (not shown) which meshes with the gear 36 (Fig. 1) secured to the shaft 31 of the upper roll 2|. These rolls 20 and 2| are driven at a greater surface speed than that of the roll I! and their surface speed may be about six feet per second, the roll 2|) being rotated in a clockwise direction and the roll 2| in a counterclockwise direetion (looking at Fig. 2)

The shaft 31 of the roll 2| is mounted for roa surface speed of about two feet per second, and

portion of the bolt shank than on the lower reduced portion thereof, for example 12 threads per inch on the former portion and I3 on the latter portion, and both sets of threads are righthand or both sets left-hand. In such an arrangement, one complete turn of the bolt 4| lowers or raises the associated bearing hem of an inch. Turning the two bolts 4| thus serves very slowly to force the bearing blocks 38 downwardly against the upward pressure of the springs 39 and thereby to delicately adjust the spacing of the peripheral surface of the roll 2| from that of the roll 23.

Interiorly threaded rings or collars 43 are screwed to exteriorly threaded depressed portions at opposite ends of the roll 2|, the peripheral surfaces of the collars being substantially flush with the surface of the roll. A series of pins 43 is secured to each collar 45. Steel wire 41, having a diameter of about /100 of an inch, is looped around a pin 46, wound once around the surface of the roll 2|, and then looped around a pin 43 directly opposite the first pin but located at the against the surface of the roll as desiredand to the pins by soldering. Each collar 45 may be secured in adjusted position by set screws (not shown) which pass through interiorly threaded apertures in the end of the collar and engage the adjacent end of the roll 2|.

The surface of each of the metal rolls 23 and 2| is ground with extreme accuracy both longitudinally and concentric with the bearing surface of its shaft and this causes the surface of the wires 41 to exert a uniform pressure against the surface of the roll 2|) throughout the length of the surface of the roll and during each complete revolution of the rolls 2|) and 2 Thus the surface of the upper roll 2| is provided with a series of closely spaced steel wires 41 which rotate in unison with we roll and which engage the surface of the lower roll 20 with a uniform pressure, the amount of which may be delicately varied by turning the bolts 4|.

A moistening reservoir 50 is supported on a shelf it which in turn is supported by the frame cross members 52. A' sheet of fibrous material 53 is secured to the resilient metal wall 54 of the reservoir by a. series of bolts 55 which pass through the longitudinally extending rigid crossbar 55. A series of thumbscrews 51 serve to ad- Just or vary the angle of the resilient member 54 to thereby vary the amount of pressure exerted by the fibrous material against the surface of the roll 20. The length of the reservoir 50 and of the fibrous material 53 is substantially the same as that of the surface of the roll 20, so that the fibrous material engages the entire length of the surface of said roll. 'The fibrous material preferably is closely compacted, degreased, wool felt and it transfers the water or other moistening agent from the reservoir 58 to the surface of the roll 28 to continuously apply to said surface a thin coating or film of moisture. The characteristics of this coating may be controlled by adjustinent of the set screws 51 to increase or decrease the pressure of the fibrous material a t the surface of the roll and by adjustment of the bolts 55 to increase or decrease-the pressure of the crossbar 55 against the surface of the fibrous 7 material.

A rubber-covered roll 22 is mounted on a shaft which is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings supported by the frame members 30. The roll 22 is rotated in a clockwise direction (looking at Fig. 2) by suitable connections with a drive shaft 56, the surface speed of rotation of the roll being substantially the same as that of the roll 2%. v

A pair of metallic conduits 60 extends from a point adjacent to the surface of the roll 22 to the fan housings 8!. Each fan housing is provided with a fan 62 which, upon rotation, is adapted to create suction in the associated conduit 60 and positive pressure in the associated housing outlet 53. The housing outlet member 63 is connected by the member be with the end of a length of glass tubing it. The opposite end of the glass tubing 2% is provided with a cap 300 (Figs. 1, 4 and 6) the end portion of which is of greater diameter than the body portion so as to provide a circumferentially extending channel ibi. A discharge tube it? leads downwardly from the lower portion of this channel it i.

A branch tube ii, arranged at substantially right angles to the tube 'ifl, has one end communicating with the interior of the tube H at a point adjacent to the cap Hill. The opposite end of this tube ii is also provided with a cap I00 similar to the cap just described. The tube ii is provided with a branch 12 having its axis disposed substantially at right angles to that of the tube '55 and communicating with the tube ll just in advance of the capped end of the latter,.the tubes i8 and H being the first of a series constituting a system of branched tubes which, as here illustrated, includes the tubular branches 13, id, 15 and it, it being understood that a greater or lesser number of branches may be empioyed in accordance with circumstances and in particular with reference to the type of fiber being handled and the degree of separation desired. It is to be noted that the several branches diverge from each other at a substantially right angle as here illustrated so that the air current,

in. passing from one branch to the next of the series, is compelled to change its direction very abruptly. While as here shown the several branches diverge each at a right angle from the preceding tube, it is contemplated that they may be so arranged as to cause the air to make an even more abrupt change in direction if desired. It is further to be noted that each branch extends beyond its junction with the next succeedin branch of the series so as to provide a dead air chamber in direct axial alignment with each branch passage, such dead air chamber in each instance having a terminal cap it!) with its annular channel l0! from which leads a discharge tube I02.

A series of closure disks or valves 8| is provided, one for each of the tubes I02 and each having one of its faces located adjacent to and normally closing the lower end of the corresponding tube 102. Each of these disks is provided with an orifice or aperture 82 (Fig. 4) which is of substantially the same diameter as the opening at the lower end of the corresponding tube 102. Each disk is mounted on a shaft 83 which is continuously rotated from any available source of power so that the orifice 82 of each disk inter.- mittently' registers with the opening of the corresponding tube IDZ, thereby periodically to afford communication between the interior of the tube I02 and the interior of an associated tube 85, coaxial with the tube I02 and having its open end close to the opposite radial face of thedisk. The several tubes lead to a main collection trunk 85.

A tube I1 is connected to the last branch 16 of the system and provides communication between the interior of this last branch 76 and a chamber provided in an elongate casing (Figs. 1 and 5).

The floor of the chamber 90 is provided with a series of parallel slots which receive the upper portions of fiber entraining disks 9| having rough edges and preferably havingrough radial surfaces. For example, these disks may consist of stiff wire screen fabric. The disks 9|. are secured to shafts 52 which are arranged outside of the casing and which are rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5.

Scrapers 93 located outside of thecasing constitute means for removing the fibers which cling to the edge of each of the disks, it being understood that a scraper 93 is arranged at each side of each disk. The fibers so removed from the disks drop onto a conveyor belt 94.

In operation, the web or film M consisting of dandruff and crossed beard and down fibers (Fig.

8) is advanced by the belt IE to the bite of the rolls i8 and Zil (Fig. 2), the speed of the web being about two feet per second, the surface speed of the roll 13, being about the same as the speed of the web and the surface speed of the roll 28 being greater than the surface speed of the roll H3. The surface of the roll 29. is continuously coated with moisture by the fibrous material 53, and this moisture tends to retain the fibers in engagement with the surface of the roll 211 as they leave the bite of the rolls i8 and 20 and until they reach the bite of the rolls 2| an In the film or web of fibers as it enters the bite of the rolls l8 and 20 the fibers cross and recross each other and are several fibers deep, as shown in Fig. 8. As one end of a fiber is advanced through the bite of said rolls and becomes freed from said bite the action of the moist surface of the faster moving roll 20 against the surface of said freed end portion of the fiber causes it to be rearranged on the surface of the roll 20 and to extend along said surface in a direction substantially at right angles from the line of the bite of the rolls l8 and 20 where the lower part of the fiber is still engaged by said bite. This aligning action is caused by the tendency of the freed end portion of the fiber to seek the position of least resistance on-the surface of the rapidly moving roll 20 while the lower part of the fiber is still engaged by the roll I8. Each of the fibers is thus progressively aligned as it progressively advances through said bite so that before the fibers pass through the bite of the rolls 2| and 20 they have been rearranged in a film or web in which they are only about one fiber deep and in which they are aligned to extend along the surface of the roll 20 substantially in the same direction. This film or web of aligned fibers is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 9 and 10, the arrow in Fig. 10 indicating the direction of movement of the surface of the roll 20, the beard fibers being indicated by the heavy lines and the down fibers by the lighter lines.

The moisture on the surface of the roll 20 serves to keep the fibers in engagemenfiwith the surface of the roll 20 both when they are being aligned and after the alignment has been comis probably-due to the fact that the diameter or thickness of beard fibers varies so that the pressure exerted by the wires is insufficient to sever the fiber in some localities, whereas it is sufficient to sever the fiber at most localities. some of the down fibers may be cut, butthe majority of them are uncut and after the short cut segments of beard fibers have been removed the resultant mass consisting of substantially uncut down fibers is of great value in the manufacture of yarn and fabrics. Even if all of the down fibers are out once or twice (which result may be accomplished by passing the card web shown in Fig. 8 directly from the carding machine through the bite of the rolls 2| and 20) the resultant down fibers are long enough to make an end product which is acceptable for some purposes.

The suction which is created by the fans at the mouth of the conduits 60 draws the material emerging from the bite of the rolls 2| and 20 into the conduits 60. Any of this material which continues to adhere to the surface of the roll ment is less complete and so that they do not 2| (see Figs. 9 and 10) the spaced wires 41 progressively engage each beard fiber at spaced intervals, and the curved surface of the wire (a radius of about /2 of an inch) cuts through each beard fiber to progressively separate it into short segments of about V8 of an inch in length. When the pressure of the'wire against the surface of the lower roll 20 is properly adjusted the beard fibers are thus cut into short segments but the down fibers are substantially uncut. I believe this result is due to the fact that the beard fibers are thicker and more brittle than the down fibers so that by accurate adjustment of the cutting pressure of the wires their pressure on the down fibers is insufiicient to sever them, whereas their pressure on the beard fibers is greater and is sufiicient to sever them.

The bite of the rolls 2| and 22 is preferably located slightly more than 3% inches from the bite of the rolls. [8 and 20 so that down fibers will not be gripped at the same time both by the bite of the rolls l8 and 20 and by the wires 41 to thereby break the down fibers. By reducing the pressure at the bite of the rolls l8 and 20, however, the machine may be satisfactorily operated with a shorter distance between saidbites.

Fig. 11 illustrates the material as removed after i passing the bite of the rolls 20 and 2|, the mate-.

20 is removed therefrom by the roll 22 and the suction at the mouth of the conduits 00 removes such material from the surface of the roll 22 as well as any material which adheres to the surface of the roll 2| and draws said material into the conduits 60. A

I The mass of down fibers, cut beard fibers,.and dandruff then passes to the fan housing 0| where it is agitated by the fan 62 and is thereafter blown out through the outlet 63, the connecting member 64, and into the tube 10. When the fibers reach the entrance to the tube 'I| many of the lighter weight and longer down fibers are forced around the comer into the tube 1| whereas many.

the down fibers also pass beyond the entrance to the 'tube II, the adjacent portion of the tube 10 and into the cap I00. The eddy air currents which are set up in the cap agitate these down fibers and continuously force them' back to the entrance to the tube 1|, and thence into the tube II. These same eddy currents tend to remove the dandruff and the beard fiber segments which adhere to the down fibers, which thus pass to the extension portions of the tube I0, said dandruff and beard fiber segments being thrown outwardly into the channel |0| from which they fall to the tube I02.

When the opening 82 in the disk 0| periodically registers with the exit end of the tube I02, the beard fiber segments and the dandruff, which have collected at the end of said tube, are forced out through the opening 82 into the tube 85 and thence into the collection tube 86. This waste product is illustrated in Fig. 13.

The cap I00 and the portion of the tube II which extends beyond the entrance to the tube II form what is referred to in the claims as a substantially dead air chamber. This phraseology is used notwithstanding the eddy air currents which are present in that part of the apparatus because the main air current set up by the fan 62 is directed toward said dead air chamber but sincefthe exit end of the tube |l2 is normally closed the greatest part of said main air current does not pass into said dead air chamber and is forced to pass around the corner into the tube 1|. Each down fiber is much longer than each cut section of beard fiber and has substantially the same weight, and consequently the main air current, as it turns the "sections pass into the substantially dead air chamber, whereas most of the down fibersdo not enter it at all but pass directly around the comer into the tube H.

Not all of the beard fiber segments and dandrul! are removed in the first substantially dead air space of the tube 10, and the down fibers, together with the remaining dandrufl' and beard fiber segments continuously pass along the tube II in which the same process of removal takes place as that which has been described above with respect to the tube 10. A sufilcient number of branch tubes, similar to the tubes and H, is provided to completely remove the down fibers from the undesirable beard fiber segments and dandrufi, seven such tubes being illustrated as associated with each of the two fan housings (ii in the embodiment shown in the drawings.

The down fibers which pass from the last of these tubes 16 into the tube 11 are illustrated in Fig. 12 and they are satisfactory for use in the manufacture of yarn. However, they present a somewhat tangled and disorderly appearance because of the agitation to which they have been submitted by the air currents in the series of tubes. The rotating disks 9! tend to untangle the down fibers and to rearrange them so that they present a more attractive appearance for marketing. As the fibers are blown from the tube 11 into the chamber 90, they catch intermediate their ends on the edge of the rotating disks BI and are thus removed from the mass.

The disks carry the fibers downwardly and some of them fall from the edge of the disks to the conveyor belt 94, whereas those which continue to adhere to the disks are removed by the scrapers 93 from which they fall to the surface of the belt 94. The end product is collected from the surface of the belt 94 and consists of substantially uncut down fibers which are substantially free from beard fibers and dandruff.

The aspects of the invention relating solely to the final separation of the cut sections of beard fibers from the longer down fibers and to that part of the apparatus which relates thereto is claimed in my copending divisional application, Serial Number 582,852, filed March 15, 1945,

v and in my copending continuation-impart application, Serial No. 465,217, filed November 11, 1942.

Those aspects of the method and apparatus which relate solely to reducing the thickness of the carded web or film, to paralyzing the beard and down fibers or to advancing the resultant web or film are claimed in my copending continuation in part application, Serial No. 662,240, filed April 15. 1946.

While I have shown and described one desirable method and one desirable embodiment of apparatus embodying my invention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that various forms of the apparatus may be used, and that the substitution of equivalent teps in the process may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Method of preparing for textile use cashmere and similar fleeces including intermingled relatively coarse and fine fibers which comprises as a step subjecting a web or film of coarse and fine fibers to a dividing operation including pressure sufiicient to divide substantially all of the coarse fibers into short lengths while they are still intermingled with the fine fibers but leaving at least the majority of the fine fibers of greater length than said short lengths of coarse fibers, the thickness of said web or film not exceedin the thickness of a web or film produced by a card.

2. Method of preparing for textile usev cashmere and similar fleeces including relatively coarse and fine fibers, which comprises as steps forming the fleece into a web oi a thickness of the order of the diameter of the coarse fibers, advancing the web through a, dividing zone. and dividing the majority at least oi! the coarser fibers into short lengths while the web is passing through the dividing zone and while the coarser fibers are still intermingled with the fine fibers but leaving the majority at least of the finer fibers substantially intact.

3. Methodoi preparing for textile use cashmere and similar fleeces including beard hairs, dandruff and down fibers, which comprises as steps scouring, drying and carding the fleece to form a web in which the hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, drawing the web thereby to dispose its constituent hairs and down fibers in substantially parallel relation, and dividing the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the down fibers substantially intact. 4. Method of preparing for textile use cashmere and similar fleeces including relatively coarse and fine fibers, which comprises as steps scouring, drying and cardingthe fieece to form a web several fibers thick in which the coarse and fine fibers are indiscriminately oriented, drawing the web thereby to reduce it substantially to single fiber thickness while concomitantly disposing the coarse and fine fibers in predominantly parallel relation, supporting the web upon a rigid surface, and dividing the majority at least of the coarse fibers, while the web is so supported. into short lengths but leaving the majority at least of the fine fibers substantially intact.

5. Method of preparing for textile use cashmere and similar fieeces including coarse and fine fibers, which comprises as steps carding the fleece to form a web several fibers thick in which the coarse and fine fibers are indiscriminately oriented, moistening the web and drawing it thereby to dispose its constituent coarse and fine fibers in predominantly parallel relation, and, while supporting the web, dividing the majority at least of the coarse fibers into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the fine fibers substantially intact.

6. Method of preparing for textile use cashmere and similar fleeces including coarse and fine fibers, which comprises as steps carding the fieece to form a web several fibers thick in which the coarse and fine fibers are indiscriminately oriented, moistening the web and drawing it thereby to dispose its constituent coarse and fine fibers in predominantly parallel relation, and,'while supporting the web, subjecting the coarse hairs to a series of impacts of sufiicient magnitude to divide at least the majority of them into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the fine fibers of greater length than said short lengths of coarse fibers.

11 '7. Method of preparing for textile use fleeces of the kind in which coarse and fine fibers are intermingled, said method comprising as steps subjecting a web or film of coarse and fine fibers to a dividing operation including pressure sufficient to divide substantially all of the coarse fibers into short lengths while they are still intermingled with the fine fibers but leaving at least the majority of the fine fibers of greater length than said short lengths of coarse fibers, the thickness of said web or film not exceeding the thickness of a web or film produced by a card, and separating the short lengths of coarse fibers from the longer fine fibers.

8. Method of preparing for textile use cashmere and similar fibrous fleeces including beard hairs and down fibers, which comprises as steps forming the fleece into a thin, continuous film of a thickness of the or der of thickness of a film produced bya card, dividing the majority at least ofthe beard hairs into short fragments while leaving the majority at least of the down fibers substantially intact, and separating the short hair fragments from the longer down fibers.

'9. Method of preparing for textile use fleeces of the kind in which coarse and fine fibers are intermingled, said method comprising as steps forming the fleece into a web of the order of a single fiber thick, advancing the web through a dividing zone, dividing the majority at least of the coarse fibers into short lengths while the web is passing through the dividing zone but leaving the majority at least of the fine fibers substantially intact, and separating the short lengths of coarse fiber and the longer finer fibers.

10. Method of preparing for textile use cashmere and similar fleeces including beard hairs, dandruff and down fibers, which comprises as steps forming the fleece into a web in which the beard hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, said web being of a thickness of the order of thickness of a web produced by a card, drawing the web thereby to dispose its constituent fibers and hairs in predominantly arallel relation and to reduce the web so that the fine forming the fleece into 'a web of a thickness of the order of thickness of a web produced by a card, advancing the web into the bite of a pair of drafting rolls, one of said rolls having a surface speed greater than that of the other and having a moist surface to which the fibers tend to cling, thereby causing the fibers to become predominantly. disposed in parallel relation, dividing the majority at least of the coarser fibers substantially into short sections while leaving the majority at least of the finer fibers substantially intact, and separating the short resultant lengths of coarse fiber from the longer fine fibers.

13. Method of preparing for textile use cashmere or other fleeces including relatively coarse and fine fibers, said method comprising as steps forming the fleece into a web several fibers thick, drawing the web down substantially to single coarse fiber thickness by advancing it into the down fibers form one thickness and the coarser of the kind in which coarse and fine fibers are intermingled, said method comprising as steps carding the fleece to form a web several fibers thick in which the coarse and fine fibers are indiscriminately oriented, drawing the web thereby to reduce it substantially to single fiber thickness while concomitantly disposing the coarse, and fine fibers predominantly in parallel relation,

maintaining such relation of the coarse and fine fibers by causing the web to contact a moist surface, and, while the web so contacts said surface, dividing the majority at least of the coarse fibers into short lengths while keeping the majority at least of the fine fibers substantially intact, and thereafter causing the fine fibers to follow a path different from that followed by the other constituents of the web.

12. Method of preparing for textile use cashmere or other fleeces including relatively coarse hm a bite of a pair of drafting rolls, one of said rolls having a surface speed greater than that of the other and having a moist surface to which the fibers tend to cling, dividing the majority at least of the coarser fibers into short sections while leaving the majority at least of the finer fibers substantially intact, and separating the resultant short lengths of coarse fiber from the longer fine fibers.

14. Method of treating cashmere or similar fleeces preparatory to separation of the constituent coarse, stifl, beard hairs from the relatively soft down fibers composing such fleeces, which comprises as steps supporting a web of the fleece upon a substantially rigid surface, and selectively a plying localized pressure to the coarse beard hairs thereby to cause the majority at least of the beard hairs to snap apart at the location of such pressure while leaving the majority at least of the finer down fibers substantially intact, said web being of a thickness which does not exceed that of a web produced by a card.

15. Method of treating cashmere or similar fleeces preparatory to separation of the constituent coarse, stiff, beard hairs from the relatively soft down fibers composing such fleeces, which comprises as steps arranging the fleece to form a web of a thickness approximating that of the diameter of the average coarse fiber, drawing the web across a rigid supporting surface, and selectively applying localized pressure to the coarse beard hairs or fibers while resting upon said surface and at frequent intervals in the lengths of said coarse hairs or fibers, thereby to cause the majority at least of said coarse hairs or fibers to snap apart at the points of application of pressure while leaving the majority at least of the ing a dividing element to indent the majority at least of the coarser fibers to an extent such as to cause the latter to snap apart, but without ln-' juriously indenting the majority at least of the finer fibers.

17. Apparatus for use in the separation oftextile fibers of different thicknesses, said apmtus comprising means for advancing a web of the mingled fibers, said web being of a thickness of l3 card, means operative to divide the larger portion at least of the fibers of greater thickness into short lengths while leaving the larger portion at least of the finer fibers substantially intact, and means operative to separate said short lengths from the remainder of the fibrous material.

18. Apparatus for use in the separation of textile fibers of different thicknesses, said apparatus comprising means for advancing a web of the mingled fibers, said web being of a thickness of the order of thickness of a web produced by a card, means operative to cause the constituent fibers to lie in a predominantly parallel arrangement, means operative to divide the larger portion at least of the fibers of greater thickness into short lengths while leaving the larger por-" tion at least of the finer fibers substantially intact, and means operative to separate said resultant short lengths from the remainder of the fibrous material.

3.9. Apparatus for use in the separation of beard fibers from down. fibers, said apparatus comprising, in combination, cutting means, means operative to present the mingled beard and down in the form of a film or web, the thickness of which does not exceed that of a web produced by a card, and the beard and down being in predominantly parallel relation with the down fibers forming one thickness and the beard hairs a greater thickness to the cutting means, the cutting means beingso constructed and arranged as to divide the larger portion at least of the beard fibers into short lengths while leaving the larger portion at least of the down fibers substantially uncut and means operative to separate the short lengths of beard from the down fibers.

29. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmere and simiiar fleece, including relatively stifi and coarse beard hairs and relatively finer down fibers, for textile use, said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the fleece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, means for advancing th web or carded material, drafting means operative to receive the advancing web and to reduce the web substantially to the thickness of a single beard hair while concomitantly disposing its constituent fibers in predominantly parallel relation, and means for dividing the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths.

21. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmer and similar fieece, including relatively stiff and coarse beard hairs and relatively finer down fibers, for textile use, said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the fleece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminatelyoriented, means for advancing the web of carded material, drafting means operative to receive the advancing weband to reduce the web substantially to the thickness of a single beard hair while concomitantly disposing its constituent fibers in predominantly parallel relation, and means for dividing the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths, said dividing means including a roll having spaced elements vwhic exert impacts upon the hairs.

22. Apparatus'for use in preparing cashmere and similar fieece, including relatively stiii and coarse hairs and relatively finer down fibers, for textile use, said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the fleece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, web-drafting means comprising a pair of contacting drafting rolls turning at difierent surface speeds, means operative 14 to moisten the surface of the roll which turns at the greater speed, means operative to deliver the web into the bite of the rolls, and means for dividing the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths.

23. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmere and similar fieece, lncluding relatively stiff and coarse hairs and relatively finer down fibers, for

textile use, said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the fleece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, web-drafting means comprising a pair of contacting drafting rolls turning at different surface speeds, means operative to moisten the surface of the roll which turns at the greater speed, means operative to deliver the web into the bite of the rolls, and means for dividing the majority at least of thehairs into short lengths, said dividing means including a roll having spaced elements which exert impacts upon the hairs.

24. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmere and similar fleece, including relatively coarse hairs, and relatively finer down fibers, for textile use, said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the fleece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriininately oriented, an endless belt arranged to receive the web and to deliver it to drafting means comprising a pair of contacting drafting rolls turning at difierent surface speeds, the lower portion of the roll which turns at the high speed dipping into a body of fiuid, means operative to remove surplus fluid from said roll, means for delivering the web of carded fiber into the bite of said rolls, and means for dividing the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the down fibers substantially intact.

25. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmere and similar fleece, including relatively coarse hairs and relatively finer down fibers, for textile use, said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the fleece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, an endless belt which receives the web of previously carded material, said web being several fibers thick, drawing means comprising a moistened roll operative to draw the web down substantially to single hair thickness and to arrange its constituent hairs and fibers in approximately parallel relation, and means for dividing the majority at least-of the hairs into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the down fibers substantially intact.

26. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmere and similar fleece, including relatively coarse hairs and relatively finer down fibers, for textile use, v

said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the'fieece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, an endless belt which receives the web -of previously carded material, said web being several fibers thick, drawing means comprising a moistened roll operative to draw the web down substantially to single hair thickness and to arrange its constituent hairs and fibers in approximately parallel relation, and means for dividing the majority at least of the hairs ,into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the down fibers substantially intact, said dividing means including a roll having spaced elements which exert impacts upon the hairs.

27. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmere and similar fleece, including relatively still and of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, web-drafting means operative to draw the web down substantially to single hair thickness and concomitantly to arrange its constituent hairs and fibers substantially parallel, and hair-dividing means operative to separate the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the down fibers substantially intact.

28. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmere and similar fleece, including relatively still and coarse beard hairs and relatively finer down fibers, for textile use, said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the fleece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, web-drafting means operative to draw the web' down substantially to the thickness or a single beard hair and concomitantly to arrange its constituent hairs and fibers substantially parallel, and hair-dividing means operative to divide the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths while leaving the maiority at least of the down fibers substantially intact, said dividing means including a pair of oppositely rotating rolls between which the film is advanced with the hairs and fibers generally perpendicular to the line of contact of the rolls, one of said rolls having peripheral cutting elements so arranged that their acting portions are substantially parallel to' the line of contact of the rolls.

29. Apparatus for use in preparing cashmere and similar fleece, including relatively stiff and coarse beard hairs and relatively finer down fibers, for textile use, said apparatus being of the kind wherein a card reduces the fleece to the form of a web in which hairs and down fibers are indiscriminately oriented, web-drafting means operative to 'drawthe web down substantially to the thickness of a single beard hair and concomitantly to arrange its constituent hairs and fibers substantially parallel, and hair-dividing means operative to divide the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the down fibers substantially intact, said dividing means including a pair of oppositely rotating rolls between which the film is advanced with the hairs and fibers generally perpendicular to the line of contact of the rolls, one of said rolls having peripheral cutting elements so arranged that their acting portions are and fibers are generally perpendicular to the line of contact of the rolls as they approach said line of contact, one of said mils being a rigid surfaced supporting roll, and the other roll having circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending dividing elements, said dividing elements being so arranged that their acting portions are substantially parallel to the line of contact of the rolls.

31. Apparatus for use in the separation or the coarse beard hairs from the fine down fibers constituting cashmere or similar fleece, said apparatus com rising a pair or cooperating rolls, one of said rolls having peripherally spaced, fiberdividing elements, and means for directing a web or film of the mingled fibers to the surface of the other of said rolls and thence to the bite of said rolls in the presence of moisture, said'web being of a thickness which does not exceed the thickness of a web produced by a card. the axes of the web down substantially to single hair thickness and concomitantly to arrange its constituent hairs jiand fibers substantially parallel, and hair-divid- Ping means operative to divide the majority at least of the hairs into short lengths while leaving the majority at least of the down fibers substantially intact, said dividing means including a pair of. oppositely rotating cooperating rolls between which the film is advanced so'that the hairs rolls being so spaced that the majority at least of the coarse'hairs of greater thickness are divided into short lengths while passing between the rolls while the majority at least of the down fibers of lesser thickness pass between the rolls without being operatively engaged by the dividing means.

32. Apparatus for use in the separation of the coarse beard hairs from the fine down fibers constituting cashmere or similar fleece, said appa- .ratus comprising means for dividing the majority at least of the beard hairs into short len ths without substantially dividing the. majority at least of the down fibers, said apparatus including means operative to present the hairs and fibers to the dividing means in the form of a web or film of a thickness which does not exceed the thickness of a web produced by a card, the dividing means including a pair of rolls, one of said rolls having longitudinally extending ribs constituting hair dividing elements, the hair contacting surface of ach rib being of arcuate transverse section,

33. Textile apparatus comprising means for dividing unspun fiber into short lengths, said apparatus including means operative to present the fiber to the dividing means in the form of a web or film of a thickness which does not exceed the thickness of a web produced by a card, the dividing means including a pair of rolls, one of said rolls having a screw-threaded collar engaging a threaded portion of the roll adjacent to each end of the latter, each collar having circumferential series of pins projecting therefrom, and helical lengths of wire, each engaging a pin at opposite ends respectively of the roll, said lengths of wire embracing the peripheral surface of the roll and constituting fiber dividing elements, the collars being adjustable lengthwise of the roll thereby to vary the pressure with which said lengths of wire embrace the peripheral surface of the roll.

34. Textile apparatus comprising means for dividing unspun fiber into short lengths, said apparatus including means operative to present the fiber-to the dividing means'in the form of a web or film of a thickness which does not exceed the thickness of a web produced by a card, the dividing means including a pair of rolls, one of said one end of the roll to the other and forming bights successively about attaching elements at the opposite ends respectively of the roll, the runs of wire which extend longitudinally of the roll constituting fiber dividing elements, said runs of wire engaging the peripheral surface of the roll, the collar being adjustable lengthwise of the roll thereby to vary the engagement between said runs of wire and said peripheral surface.

35. Apparatus for use in the separation of the coarse beard hairs from the me down fibers constituting cashmere or similar fleece, said apparatus comprising means for dlvicling.the majority at least of the beard hairs into short lengths without substantially dividing the majority at least of the down fibers, said apparatus including means operative to present the hairs and fibers to the dividing means in the form of a web or film of a thickness which does not exceed the thickness of a web produced by a card, the dividing means including a pair of metal rolls the surfaces of which are ground both longitudinally and concentric with the bearing surfaces of their' Journals, one of said rolls having longitudinally extending substantially parallel wires of small diameter and circular in cross-section constituting hair dividing elements.

ROBERT A. FAJRBAIRN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date- Gibson Sept. 3, 1940 Number Number 85 1,430

Name Date Taylor Nov. 23, 193'? Taylor Aug. 24, 1937 Zetzsche et al. Apr. 4, 1939 Zetzsche et a1 Jan. 18, 1938 Taylor Aug. 14, 1934 McCulloch et 111. 'Sept. 17, 1935 Taylor et al Apr. 13, 1937 Zetrsche et a1. July 13, 1937 Schmitt Nov. 14, 1939 Finlayson et a1 Apr. 23, 1940 Walen et a1 May 13, 1924 Morton Nov, 12, 1940 Elam Nov. 2'7, 1906 Garraux June 12, 1894 Johnson Jan. 28, 1868 Potter --'Feb. 27, 1906 Loomls Sept. 26, 1933 Beer Apr. 3, 1934 Gammeter -Mar. 23. 1926 Gammeter Mar. 23, 1926 Gammeter Mar. 23, 1926 Taylor Oct. 18, 1932 Albee July 12. 1927 Albee Oct. 18, 1927 Putt Apr. 13, 1926 Putt Apr. 13, 1926 Dobbs et al. May 29, 1906 Preston Nov. 6, 1928 Kern July 15, 1941 Trump June 17, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date British 1880 

